One Night at the Château: Escape to Provence with the stunningly feel-good and romantic new story from the bestselling author! by Veronica HenryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Three and a half stars.
Connie's husband has left her for an older woman. Her children have left home for university/work. Her job as a magazine editor ended when the magazine folded and she is totally overwhelmed by everything, struggling to get out of bed. Then her godmother Lismay calls from her chateau in Provence, France, she desperately needs Connie's help.
Lismay's husband needs a hip replacement but just before they are due to come to London for the operation he has sacked the chef, which Lismay thinks is a delaying tactic. She begs Connie to come out and run the chateau for a few months while they are in London. Connie spent many holidays at the chateau with her parents, and one idyllic summer working there, which culminated in a passionate night with the son of the owners of the vineyard next door. Although they both knew it would never be more than one night, Connie still recalls that night fondly and wonders 'what if?'.
When Connie arrives she discovers the once shabby-chic chateau is now just shabby. Everything is a bit grubby and/or broken. Online reviews are scathing, comparing it to Fawlty Towers.
Connie sweeps in a gets the chateau back up to standard, bringing the website up-to-date and generating new ideas for weekend events. Gradually, she begins to feel like her old self. Then she discovers that her one-night stand, Remy, has retired from international rugby and has returned to help run the family vineyard. Connie is surprised, flattered, and perhaps a little suspicious that Remy remembers her and seems keen to renew their acquaintance.
Interspersed with Connie's story is that of Lismay and her husband, and how they came to buy the chateau in the 1980s. Looking at the blurb for other books by Veronica Henry, this seems to be a common trait, weaving two linked stories thirty or so years apart.
Everything seems to be going well, Connie has got her mojo back, she's threatened her ex-husband with legal action unless he returns the money she inherited from her mother (and invested in the marital home) from the house proceeds before splitting the remainder equally, the chateau is thriving - and then she discovers that Remy has 'betrayed' her. I'll be brutally honest, I have no idea why Connie got so angry/upset and that probably knocked this down from a four star review.
Other than the conflict issue, I loved this, just like biting into a buttery French pastry. I mean who doesn't dream of escaping to Provence, swanning around a chateau, being able to cook fabulous meals at the drop of a hat and having a hunky French ex-rugby player with his own vineyard as a lover?
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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